Latest News
Posted on March 10th 2018
Director of English Appointed
We are delighted to announce that Sarah Pocock has been appointed as Director of English. Miss Pocock is currently Head of English at an outstanding school in South East London. As well as leading English, Miss Pocock will lead the Humanities curriculum, literacy and our programme for More Able students.
"I am utterly overjoyed to have been appointed as Director of English at Harris Academy Wimbledon and cannot wait to welcome our first cohort of Year 7 students in September. I became a teacher because I thought I could make a difference in young people’s lives and I still believe this six years later. I truly believe that education is transformative and so I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to support and guide our students on their exciting journey to becoming driven, successful and engaged members of society.
I love teaching English because it’s special – it gives students a voice. It allows me to show students that their words and the words of others are the most powerful tool they possess and one that can change the world. That’s why I am happy teaching my students anything from Emma Watson’s ‘He for She’ speech to Shakespeare or Harper Lee as I want to give them access to the best possible literature available. English is about truly understanding humanity and the many varied and wonderful perspectives within the world. For me it is the most fascinating subject – every time we study a text I thought I knew inside out and back to front a student will always find an original and different interpretation of the text that both challenges my own perception and inspires me to look at the text in a new way.
I hope our new Year 7s will fall in love with English just as I did when my Year 7 English teacher handed me a copy of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’."